You are here

Why We Give

“Yale is a special place to us both personally and professionally, and our time at Yale has been a signiﬁcant influence in our lives. We met over twenty-ﬁve years ago on Old Campus, and several years later, we were engaged to be married there.

“Given our experiences at Yale, we have committed to giving back so that other current and prospective Yalies can beneﬁt from the opportunities we enjoyed. In our 20s and 30s, we gave modest, but consistent gifts to the Alumni Fund to show our support. As we progressed in our careers, we were fortunate to be able to endow a scholarship for financial aid.

“More recently, in anticipation of Jay’s 25th reunion, we talked with members of Yale’s Office of Development staff about a more comprehensive planned gift. While we have always intended to give a meaningful portion of our estate to Yale, we mistakenly thought that we were too young to consider such long-range planning. As we have learned more about Yale life income programs, we have become convinced that this giving model is a good ﬁt for us.

“We spent a great deal of time evaluating the comparative benefits of charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, both of which provide lifetime income in exchange for a gift of cash or appreciated securities. We decided on the charitable remainder trust, given its flexibility and its potential for income growth. By funding the trust with appreciated securities, we avoided capital gains tax and received a substantial income tax deduction.

“We would encourage others, even those in their 40s and 50s, to think creatively and consider the compelling aspects of gifts making lifetime payments: while donating appreciated assets to Yale, one can still enjoy meaningful income from those assets.”